varnam

As commenter yum yum noted, the leftist movement in Kerala had lot of support from the farmers. The Communists fighting the evil zamindars managed to take over the land and redistribute it to the poor folks. Now Communists have become the new Zamindars. They will decide what you should grow in your own land. If not the consequences are disastrous since the Communists know only one way to persuade.

If a Kerala farmer quits growing paddy and grows another crop on the same farmland, he will have CPM comrades landing with sickles and axes to 'restore' the farm for paddy. No matter if growing paddy is just not profitable, no matter if you have stiff farm loans to pay back.

Last week in Palakkad, the comrades, chanting slogans invoking hardliner V S Achuthanandan, descended to destroy arecanut and other crops in many farms. About a dozen of them have been booked for it.

The sickles and axes have been coming down on many parts of rural Kerala, as a strong 'corrective' political statement, right from the '90s. They continue to swing.

The late A Kanaran MLA, top honcho of the CPM's Kerala State Karshaka Thozhilali Union (KSKTU), had effectively used it to get local Muslim landlords in north Kerala's Nadapuram belt to fall in line, his men laying waste acres of their standing cash crops overnight.

In Alappuzha, Kanaran's hardline guru and Politburo member Achuthanandan unleashed his men on paddy farms whose owners - many of them marginal farmers - had to switch to other crops. It finally took a high court order to get the cops to halt the destruction, at least temporarily.

Achuthanandan now says the party will continue its "peaceful" agitation in every Kerala panchayat, and will not allow any more fields to be lost to paddy, "at any cost."

"I'd never asked our comrades to destroy any kind of crops, only to oppose paddy field reclamation. But our young men get excited and naughty sometimes," Achuthanandan told The Indian Express. [Party waves the sickle, cuts off cash crops from Kerala farmers]

Related Links: Workers agitating aginst Communists, The High Court verdict on Coke, Your's are small too, Not for the family, The Communist "U" turn

Porter Goss, the CIA chief cannot catch Osama bin Laden due to some "weak links", which seems to be the new code word for Pervez Musharraf.

The CIA boss was delivering a clear message to the ``weak link'' -- Pakistan and its military ruler, Gen. Pervez Musharraf.

As he did two weeks ago in Australia, Musharraf claims to have Al-Qaida ``on the run'' in Pakistan, his forces having chased them out of cities into the mountains and then ``occupied their sanctuaries.''

That rhetoric draws derision inside the CIA. According to sources familiar with the intelligence community discussion on this issue, there is mounting evidence that the Pakistani military -- and its intelligence wing, the ISI -- is nurturing its deep ties to Islamist extremists, including those who are sheltering the Al-Qaida leadership and leaders of the Afghan Taliban.[Pakistani forces tied to Taliban are hiding bin Laden, CIA thinks]

Six armed gunmen tried to storm into the Ram temple in Ayodhya. One of them, a suicide bomber, rammed a jeep filled with explosives at the first barricade. The others hurled grenades and fired indiscriminately with AK-47s. Makes you blood boil doesn't it?

But blood should not boil. That's what Teesta Setalvad has to say.

Such an incident poses a challenge to the secular fabric of the country. Transparency needs to be followed in investigation. The media needs also to respond responsibly to information when labels like ‘terrorist’ and ‘jehadi terrorist’ are used intentionally by some organisations. Above all, this should not become an occasion for venom and hatred against minorities clouding our public sphere once again. [Press Release]

Rajeev Srinivasan has more

BBC violated its policy of not calling terrorists as terrorists. It headlined its report of Thursday's bombings in Londonistan as ' London rocked by terror attacks'. Its editorial guidelines state the following:

The word "terrorist" itself can be a barrier rather than an aid to understanding. We should try to avoid the term, without attribution.

Indian police have killed five gunmen who attacked a flashpoint religious site in the northern city of Ayodhya.
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The Ayodhya complex is one of the most fiercely disputed religious sites in the world...

Update: BBC listens to Teesta. The word "terrorist" is erased and the barrier to understanding has been removed.

Natwar Singh, who was here to attend a meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the G4 countries, hoped the peace process with Pakistan would continue unimpeded, "unless there is a terrorist attack like the one witnessed in London."

India has said terrorist camps are still operating in Pakistan and New Delhi has photographic evidence to prove it.

"I have told the Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz that the terrorist camps have not been dismantled. We have the photographs and I have told him that we can provide photographic evidence," External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh told the BBC here last night. [Terrorist camps still operating in Pakistan: Natwar]

Update: Thank god these "militants" were stopped, else Nut-war would have called off the peace process.

Thanks to globalization of labor, many Malayalees work in the Islamic countries in the Middle East. Yale Global has an article on these people, who are the "invisible foot soldiers of globalization"

Blue-collar Indian workers in the UAE, including Dubai, amount to an exploited underclass with no rights, no unions, and no stake in country's burgeoning wealth, say human rights groups. In neighboring Saudi Arabia, a recent Human Rights Watch report says many of the country's more than one million Indian migrants live in "conditions resembling slavery." The document highlights the widespread practice of forced, around-the-clock confinement of Indian maids, often in unsafe conditions. And a US State Department report on worldwide human trafficking faults the UAE and other Gulf states for commonplace labor abuses like withholding pay and passports.

Employers usually confiscate passports and residence permits when workers arrive at Dubai International Airport, making it virtually impossible for laborers to seek better jobs or quit and go home. Migrants typically cannot obtain exit visas without the approval of their sponsor or employer. The story of these faceless men and women, who live in labor camps and seedy apartments, is gaining attention in the usually self-censored UAE press, which now regularly reports on worker protests over delayed pay and substandard living conditions. [Dubai’s Kerala Connection]

Related Links: Globalization of ideas, Hinduism in Saudi Arabia

Tony Blair said yesterday that he was shocked to learn that the terrorists (or bombers for BBC folks) were actually British nationals and we were shocked that Blair, a British national, lacks general knowledge. British born Omar Sheikh is in a Pakistani jail for murdering Daniel Pearl. Richard Reid is in an American jail for trying to see how a 747 would look when it explodes. Saajid Badat was the co-conspirator of Reid. Assaf Mohammed Hanif who blew himself up in a Tel Aviv pub in 2003 was carrying a British passport.

As Steve Emerson noted on Fox News

Not only disrupt but here is the ultimate irony. Britain invited this. Britain created conditions in London that now host more radical Islamic groups and cells, and leaders, that is, than any other capital in Europe or even in the Middle East, outside the Middle East that is. And the fact of the matter is open immigration, a very liberal asylum policy and they still continue to embrace and empower radical Islamic groups. For example, in Prime Minister Blair's comments right after the attack he praised the Muslim Council of Britain. That is an organization that is directly linked to the Muslim Brotherhood that believes in carrying out suicide bombings, that has been linked directly to Hamas and to other jihadist organizations.[Steven Emerson on British permissiveness towards Islamic radicals & on sleeper cells in U.S.]

Atleast now, Blair should wear a fake beard and walk around the Bethnal Green Underground station like Evan Kohlmann and see for himself what is happening in his island.

Perhaps what disturbed me the most about Faisal's desperate words was searching around the room and seeing dozens of eyes diligently trained on him--the eyes of young, impressionable Muslim kids. It is common in this modern era for Western youths (of all backgrounds) to worship popular rock stars or Hollywood actors and aspire to become them. Yet, for many years, the radical religious fringe has preached a consistent countermessage to young Muslims: "by virtue of your heritage alone, you are different from your peers and 'we love death as they love life.'" A minority of these youths have been raised to idolize Usama Bin Laden and Mohammed Atta in the same way that many Americans follow Johnny Depp and Bruce Springsteen. With disastrous "Muslim wars" ongoing in Iraq and Afghanistan, some of those brainwashed into following Al-Qaida now see a unique opportunity for themselves to step forward from obscurity and become famous, heroic "martyrs" of the Islamic nation, much like the 9/11 hijackers. Let noone be mistaken: the deluded suicide bombers responsible for the carnage on 7/7 are far from alone. The age of the "human cruise missile" is now fully upon us and it is likely only a matter of time before this problem crosses the Atlantic and reaches the shores of the American homeland. [Where do Homegrown British Suicide Bombers Come From?]

I couldn't believe I was in the same room as Ted Kennedy, the legendary United States Senator from Massachusetts, whose volume of legislation dwarfs anything his brothers John and Bobby did for the American people.

While I spotted hotelier and Clinton pal Sant Singh Chatwal and Republican Indian-American stalwart Dr R Vijayanagar in the same gallery, I couldn't keep my gaze off the gallery to our left which had some of the Indian members of the CEOs Forum, set up on Monday.

The other person I kept returning to was Gursharan Kaur, dressed in a nice cream Kanjeevaram sari with a red border. Like her husband, her face rarely registers any emotion. But on Tuesday, one saw a trace of nervous anticipation before Dr Singh began speaking, and then more than a hint of pride as the gathering richly applauded his speech. Occasionally, she turned to K Natwar Singh, our flamboyant foreign minister, who was always willing to provide amplification. I can wager the erudite Kunwarsaab knows the process of the US Congress better than some of those who adorn it.[Dr Singh wows Congress]

In his rare public comments involving a rival, Wipro Chairman Azim Premji on Friday said his company's organisation structure was "superior" to that of Infosys Technologies.

"I think, our structure is superior to the Infosys global delivery model," Premji told reporters here in response to a question on how Wipro's organisation structure compared with that of Infosys' global delivery model.[Our structure superior to Infy: Premji]

"Frankly, I have not fully understood the Infosys global delivery model.

"It's not for me to comment on somebody else's structure," he added.

Update: Smiley added for people who take things seriously.

Cynthia McFadden of Nightline was allowed unprecedented access to Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf after the London Bomb blasts. Through her report we come to know that everyday morning he has breakfast with his mother and she gives no advice to him since he requires none. Then he goes about the daily job of making sure Pakistan is run properly. During the day, Musharraf turns to McFadden and describes all the things he is doing and produces sound bites for the media. So he innocently asks why Pakistan is being blamed for all the bomb blasts in London and tears start rolling out of our eyes.

Here is a gentleman, who has breakfast with his mother regularly being accused of breeding terrorists. What a sacrilege. That whole report (available via iTunes Podcast) reminded me of Suketu Mehta's glorifying tribute to the gangsters of Mumbai in his excellent book Maximum City. But now the Pakistani connection is turning up at every single terrorist activity in the world whether it be the murder of school children in Kashmir, innocent civilians in London or tourists in Egypt

"Al-Qaeda does not exist in Pakistan any more," he told reporters in Lahore, after unconfirmed reports Pakistanis were being sought over bombs in Egypt.

President Musharraf said al-Qaeda "sanctuaries" in Pakistan had been over-run, and that Pakistani security forces had arrested 700 of the movement's fighters.[Al-Qaeda 'destroyed in Pakistan']

Although Pakistani officials insist they've cleaned out al-Qaida training camps in their country, a young Lodi man told FBI agents in June he spent six months in such a camp near Rawalpindi in 2003-04, according to federal court documents.

Hamid Hayat said he "observed hundreds of attendees from various parts of the world at this camp," his FBI interrogator wrote in the documents.

But Hayat, 22, and his father, Lodi ice cream vendor Umer Hayat, told the FBI of a half-dozen other young Lodi men who received jihadi training in Pakistan, the documents state. Umer Hayat, 47, also said he toured several other training camps and observed training in weaponry and urban warfare, says an affidavit filed in the case.[Pakistan a hotbed for terror recruits]

How many more people should die before Musharraf is asked to clean up his country?

Immediately after the London Bomb blasts, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf came on TV and offered words of advice to Tony Blair and declared that there were no terrorists in Pakistan. He also issued an order to crackdown on terrorists, if there were any. Now this dance routine, which follows every terrorist act in the world has become so perfect that it can be turned into a broadway musical. Sadly no one takes him seriously. The editorial in LA Times notes

Yes, there's a pattern here. To be clear, it is not that Pakistanis are more inclined toward terrorism than are citizens of any other country. It is that Musharraf is unable, or unwilling, to confront the terrorists in his midst. Musharraf has even had the gall to say that while, yes, Pakistan has a problem with Islamic extremism, so does Britain and the government there needs to address it.

Pakistan has arrested hundreds of suspected terrorists, including top Al Qaeda operatives. For his efforts, Musharraf has twice been the target of assassins. But terrorist training camps can still be found in Pakistan, and the army cracks down on infiltration into India only under foreign pressure.

But Musharraf could direct his underlings to crack down harder. When outside pressure reaches a boil, he reacts. When the pressure eases, so does he. That's not good enough[Pakistan's problem

After last week’s bombings in London our friendly neighbourhood military dictator went on international television to aver, as he usually does after an act of terrorism, that Pakistan would never allow itself to become a breeding ground for terrorists. What he did not mention was that he has little control over the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) government in his Northwest Frontier Province which just passed (July 14) the Northwest Frontier Province Hisba Act, 2005 which will effectively set up an Islamic government of Taliban genre. When it becomes law, one of the first things that will happen is the creation of a governmental department to ‘‘discourage vice and encourage virtue’’. Sound familiar? A mullah will be appointed to head it and his job will be the protection of Islamic values and traditions according to the rules laid down by the Prophet 1400 years ago[Madrasas can only breed fanatics]

When I was doing Engineering in Kerala, there were about eight or nine engineering colleges. It was a competitive atmosphere and only students with good rank would get admission. The losers would pay money and get admission in one of the zillion private engineering colleges in Karnataka. Since lot of Mallu money was flowing to other states realization dawned on some enterprising Mallus that they could mint money if they opened private Engineering Colleges in Kerala.

Now every street corner has an Engineering College. Even Kerala State Road Transport Corporation has one. The qualification for admission is that you should not have a tail.

The wealthy Communists first opposed the establishment of private colleges. When that failed they decided to oppose the fee structure and in a spirited display of violence, SFI and DYFI activists threw stones at the police and destroyed KSRTC buses. In the final toll, 141 police officers were injured and 112 vehicles were damaged.

But now some Communists have gone ahead and started an Engineering College and this has caused the DYFI to agitate against CPI(M).

Interestingly, the People’s Arts and Science College, which is the first self-financing college under the CPM, is functioning in the building of the Azhikodan Memorial Library.

The issue is snowballing into a major crisis in the CPM, which has been in the forefront of agitation against self-financing institutions in the State. While the party workers were getting brutally beaten up in the agitation against self-financing institutions, the CPM leaders themselves were starting self-financing colleges, said the DYFI leaders here. [CPM’s self-financing college evokes protest from cadres]

But then this is not the first time we have seen hypocrisy from the Communists. Isn't it?

Srijith got his GMail account locked down citing unusual usage. After leaving a comment at his blog, I went to check my GMail and found that I was locked out as well. I had left my GMail browser window open the whole day and when I checked, the page was refreshing every second, instead of whatever default they have. It was when I clicked on one of the unread mails that the screen changed to a locked out message. Unlike Srijith, I had a greasemonkey script running which adds the delete button to GMail.

After disabling greasemonkey, I sent a mail to the address mentioned on the lockdown page and my GMail account was active in an hour. Due to this incident, Srijith has ditched GMail. I am still going to use it, for all the unimportant mails.

Update: Rajat Paharia too got locked out and here is why it happened. So even though Srijith did not have greasemonkey installed, the fact that he was retrieving 150 messages caused GMail to believe so.